For all the rationale, the chief coach Mark Alleyne has misgivings about the reduction of overseas players from 2008

A couple of weeks ago the ECB staged their first 'spin match' at Derby where a collection of the most promising young spinners in the country pitted themselves against promising young batsmen in a range of set-up situations

Martyn Moxon has compiled a wish-list of batsmen to solve Durham

The debate over who should lead England in Australia raged on until the final moment, when Andrew Flintoff claimed the honour

Travis Birt, the Tasmanian batsman, is one of three Derbyshire players offered new contracts for 2007

Andy Bichel has been given permission by Queensland Cricket to play for Essex in their final County Championship match at Leicestershire next week.

Graham Ford has agreed a new contract to remain as Kent's coach until at least 2008.

Following their signing of Steffan Jones from Derbyshire, Somerset have added two more names to their squad for next season.

David Fulton, who has been left out of the Kent side for their latest Championship match against Yorkshire, fears his days as a Kent player are coming to an end

Steffan Jones, the seam bowler, is leaving Derbyshire to return to his former county, Somerset, on a three-year contract for family reasons

Michael di Venuto is set to leave Derbyshire at the end of the season

Rana Naved-ul-Hasan is on his way back to Hove for the end of the season

The latest fabulous Bajan Boy may be at loggerheads with his home board but Graham Ford would not be in the least surprised to see Dwayne Bravo one day toss a coin on behalf of the Caribbean.

Groundsman Peter Marron enjoys the rare distinction of rendering Lancashire

Michael Powell admitted mixed emotions after getting out on 299 against Gloucestershire at Cheltenham College, failing by an elusive single to become the county

Neil Killeen was a starry-eyed 16-year-old when Durham made their first-class debut in 1992

Jimmy Adams, a lefthanded opener of modest record, has been Hampshire

Zaheer Khan, the Indian left-arm seamer, has said that he would like to continue his association with Worcestershire after enjoying a successful stint with the county side this season.

The top order's reluctance to fire in unison was summed up by the club being one of only three counties not to have reached 475 by the start of August

Dimitri Mascarenhas has been reprimanded under the ECB's discipline code following an incident during Hampshire's County Championship match with Warwickshire earlier this month.